Category Archives: Immigration

December 30, 2015
5. Donald Trump entering the race for the White House- Do not get me wrong I hate this person a lot because of what he is saying. He have said some of the nastiest stuff in this election cycle, but do not get me wrong it is so much fun to watch. My favorite is when he attacked Carly Fiorina and said he would not like to see that face in the White House.

4. The Charlie Hebdo Attacks- this is not my favorite story at all but this informs how I write, before the Charlie Hebdo attacks I am really scared of speaking my mind out but after the attacks at Charlie Hebdo, I said to my self that I really need to write about the issues that I care mostly about, like equality.

3. The 2016 presidential elections specially the republican debates- this had been a weird year as far as election is concern, as i said, since Mr Trump had entered the race, America has been fixated on him but not talking about the issues at hand.

2. The Syrian Refugee Crisis- This is such a sad story that I could not even believe that I will be writing this on the blog, but it need to be talk about. The Syrian civil war have so many innocent lives taken from us. The best thing we can do is help people in need. Do not be scared of Muslim refugees. America has the most robust screening process of refugees In the world.

My favorite story of the year is Marriage equality in the USA: On 26 June of this year the United States Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision, states that marriage is a right under the 14th Amendment of the constitution. I think that it will be a stepping stone for many countries to do the same.

Joaquin Tenedora-Forte December 18, 2015
Dear Mr Trump;
Hi mister Trump, i will not lie to you, I hate what you said about everything. You are basically a racist. And a racist do not belong in the White House. Is it right to use a person who just died for your political gains. People hate you. Really, All Muslims are terrorists and all Mexicans are rapist, wow. Don, you are wrong. Though there are some Muslims that are terrorist. A majority are not. Mexicans are not rapist, in fact Mexican immigrants are being raped at the US Southern border by US border patrol.. Don, Mexico do not send its citizens to do harm to the U.S, who in the world will do that. People know when people lie…..

Lastly, Don, Your slogan for your campaign is great. Make America great again, We understand that you want to do this for the country. But you are doing a disservice to people with what you said and what you are saying.
Joaquin

In recent years there are some people who came too far in being a progressive, and these people thinks that it is Alright to question what America is founded from the idea of free speech. These people are called PC police, PC stands for political correctness. What they do is bombard people when they say something they said that they dimmed problematic.

Are there some words that when you say it will offend people? of course, like the word nigger is one of those words that when you say it it offends people because of its history. One other word, fag or faggot that word in my opinion should be ban because this words have a history of hate to it.

There are some words in that are in Accurate for example the term illegal immigrants or alien. The term to use is undocumented immigrant, because undocumented people have no papers, and they are not illegal. And besides actions are illegal not people, there is a problem when people uses that term because being in the US illegally is not a crime rather a civil offense.

There are some instances that being too progressive becomes regressive. When you censored comedy, comedy should not be censored because comedy is not there to hate. When you say certain words, like actor to describe an actress because people say it is sexist. When people used terms that are not offensive and the make it as if they are offended, like for example the term disabled, they say is offensive you should used differently-abled, something like that.

Lastly, I want to say this it is the intent that counts, when you mean it in the bad way, it will come out it is wrong and bad. Finally, I do not like people saying it is just words or the opposite is to be a PC police

As we probably know by now the last Thursday of November is thanksgiving, a holiday for turkey and mash potato, it is also for giving thanks for a good year that pass. This is a completely American Holliday. Understandably Americans are very protective of this Holliday,

Last year, I remembered a story of an undocumented family from Mexico had a thanksgiving dinner. Their neighbors told them that they are not supposed to celebrate thanksgiving because they are not Americans.

The first ever recorded thanksgiving dinner was in the New England area by Pilgrims in short it is by settlers or (immigrants) from Europe. The dinner is for giving thanks for a safe trip to the new world. The pilgrims invited native Americans to join them.

The Holliday wasn’t regularly celebrated until the civil war, when president Abraham Lincoln put the date to celebrate the union’s win. Celebrated every 4th week of November, it was a gate way to the Christmas season.

By the 1930’s during the Great Depression president Franklin D. Roosevelt move the date to the 3rd week of November. So that the retailers will have an ample time to prepare for Christmas, and people are outrage. The very next year FDR signed an executive order that move thanksgiving back to its original date.

Lastly, people should shut up when people want to celebrate thanksgiving even is they are not Americans or if they are undocumented.. It is their right to celebrate the Holliday.
What are you thankful for this year? Here is what I am thankful for, first and foremost I am thankful for the Internet, because if there. is no internet I will not be able to do what ever i want, the blog Secondly, I am thankful for technology in general. Lastly for my family and friends specially, my mom, dad and my sister Joanna who made things possible for me. Happy thanksgiving guys!!

Joaquin Tenedora-Forte
October 2, 2015
Wednesday evening at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, presidential candidate Donald Trump said that if he become president he will deny the Syrian refugees a place because of the terrorist group ISIS. In Donald Trump’s head all Muslims are Isis, so this got under my skin because what he said is very bigoted.

First of all, the Republican Party is a joke of a party, as evidenced they tried to repeal Obamacare more than 50 times. They want to win presidential elections but they have no chance of winning in 2016. Donald Trump, why is he in the race, for Christ sake, he does not know what a refugee is or even worse do not care, what is difference between a refugee and immigrant is.

First thing first, I want to say this, I do not advocate for open borders, the United States is a sovereign state, so they can define their borders. But when time of war or conflict, as the only super power they have a moral duty to take in refugees, like what is happening in Syria today. Good, that they are doing their part. Then Donald Trump has the courage to say what he said, And the crowd cheered him, Donald Trump is such a joke.

The Refugees are coming to America not to be called ISIS, they are coming their for their safety and refuge. It is no different than what happened approximately 75 years ago during World War II, where in the Jewish people were running away from Nazi Germany, America took in thousands of Jewish refugees in the process.

In my opinion, America should take a lot more people, Obama, promised ten thousand refugees, he should double or even triple that number, also he should also make them an immigrant, giving them pathway to citizenship, these people crosses boarders, and almost died. As a true “Christian nation’ America should do the right thing.

Joaquin Tenedora Forte
There are some things that you will never forget, some events you wish you can forget. For baby boomers, it is the assassination of president John F. Kennedy. For music lovers and musicians alike, it is the deaths of Elvis Presley, John Lennon or Michael Jackson. For most of the people who are at least 19 years old, we will never forget what happen in the morning of September 11, 2001. What happen on this day will changed the world forever.

I was 8 years old and in 2nd grade, and we just don’t watch any news that day because we are watching some cartoons and the Internet is not as advanced as today. The next day came and we are watching CNN and my Dad, who is in the bedroom called my mom in the kitchen they watch, and said wow, look at this, wow. I was a kid so did not know what they are talking about. A week later, my little sister and I are playing Lego. And said to her I will be building 2 buildings, and you uild an airplane. “To simulate what happened in New York”. ( it is totally Inappropriate, but we were young.

This is one of those things that change you, I remember 2 years later when the Iraq war was announced, I remember feeling, that we have someone to blame. President George w. Bush basically lied to the whole world and frame it as the Iraqis did 9/11. As we all know, that is not the case. Bin laden who is the mastermind of the attacks in New York. And not Sadam Hussien.

The young kids today, have no idea what happened that day they will just read it on history books. They should see the films. But for a majority of the world who have witness this horrible day. It’s very sad, to see it and it’s aftermath.

Lastly, to the families of the people who died that day, I know that you are still reeling from the loss of your family member, and know that you are in my thoughts and prayers this day and beyond. And to the First Responders who risk their lives to save other people, THANK YOU GUYS so much.

Joaquin Tenedora-Forte
In a recent interview with CNN host Chris Cuomo, Donald Trump angered liberals and progressives, when he said that All undocumented immigrants and their American citizen kids should be kick out of the United States. Wow, he is out of touch with the grater public. Republicans have no idea who they wanted as president, he is this racist, ignorant and bigoted person.
America is a country always replenish by immigrants. Immigrants like Donald Trump’s patronal grandparents. White people came and went to the United States thru Ellis island during the potato famine of the 1840’s Until World War II in the 1940’s. He clearly does not know history. Because Americas immigrants are not predominately white, he and other people are fearful and uncertain of Americas future. Thats why they are acting like that.
What is an anchor baby? An anchor baby is a child that is born to immigrant parents. Born in the U.S. they are automatically citizens of the Country. The term is offensive though, because of the fact that the parents of those people who are born in the Country will wait decades to be given citizenship.

The constitution states in the fourteenth amendment section one that all citizens that is born in the United States is automatically citizen of the country and states that which they reside on. It will be nearly Impossible to amended the constitution. And need to have a constitutional convention you will need 2/3 votes of both House of Representatives and the senate and then. 3/4 of the states . (judging by how the U.S. Politics is now and how partisan it is. It will be a miracle)
Lastly, people should vote wisely, because people’s rights are so much at risk because of your vote. Don’t let a person like Donald Trump win the elections. I have nothing against the guy but judging by what he is saying. He is not a states man, how can you let him run, America.

Joaquin Tenedora-Forte
What would you do if your only option is to send your son to lived with your parents in the United States, will you send him. Knowing that he will be illegal. What would you do if a human smuggler came into you’re house and said to you, he is taking your son to America. Knowing that it will be harder for him there, will you still let him go. These are the question that Emily Salinas ask her self when he put his son Jose in the cab on August 2, 1993. Jose Antonio Vargas landed at the Los Angeles international Airpot on August 3rd, it was the start of a very interesting life.

Jose Antonio Vargas was born in Manila Philippines to young parents Joselito Vargas and Emily Salinas on 3rd February 1981. At aged 3, he’s mom separated with his father, and brought Pepeton ( how he called at home), Jose lived with his grandparents in Iba in the province of Zambales, in 1984, his grandparents left for the United States, Jose was crying but his grandma reassured him that he and his mom is coming to America. But there is a problem. because there is no divorce in the Philippines even if Jose’s parents separated, his mom couldn’t come via a family petition because permanent residence parents couldn’t petition married children, grandparents could not petition their grandchildren.

Jose’s grandfather bought a fake passport, green card and social security number, for 45000 dollars so that he can come to America . He landed at LAX on August of 1993. For a kid who grow up poor in the Philippines, America was like heaven for him. That same year he started middle school at Crittenden Middle School, when he heard the US national anthem for the first time, he thought that it meant like Oh Jose can you see.

When Jose was 16, he went to the DMV ( department of motor vehicles), He did not tell his grandparents he brought his green card with him, he gave the DMV person the green card, the personnel said that the card was fake, and don’t come back here again. Jose was shock and don’t believed what the person said, he confronted his grandfather and said ‘is this fake’, his grandfather said two things yeah, ‘that’s fake’ and you are not supposed to be here. He did not know what to do, he is angry with his mom and grandparents for not thinking it thru. His choir teacher was planing a competition trip to Japan he said he could not afford it she said no we will find away but he said I have no papers I am not supposed to be here. The teacher told him they will go to Hawaii instead to accommodate him.

Jose was 17, when his English teacher, said that he ask to many questions and do journalism. She sent him to a to a journalism camp, he went, he was very surprised to see his name on the top of the page, (the byline). he figured if I could not be here because I have no papers what if I am on the paper, he figured. In his junior year. While in his history class after watching a film on Harvey Milk the San Fransisco city counselor who was shot to death, he know he was gay, after the film he raises his hand and he said something like this I am sorry Harvey Milk for dying for being gay.,….I am gay. He ran out of his classroom. After class he told his grandparents, his grandfather kick him out of the house. Because he’s grandfather has a plan, the plan is to for him to work under the table jobs. (waiting, babysitting, salesman) marry an American woman and get papers.

Jose had stopped talking to his mom and grandparents, his high-school principal became a mother figure to him. The time has come for him to go to college, but being an undocumented immigrant meant that he is paying a rate of a foreign student. His high school principal finds a man that is giving scholarship found for needy students He went to the San Francisco State University, he majored in Political Science/African studies He was a good student. He got internships, internships at the Philadelphia Daily News and at the Seattle times, but was rejected from the Seattle Times after he told the PR person he was undocumented after this incident he and high school his superintendent went to a lawyer, and said the only option was to go back to the Philippines accept a ten year ban and try to comeback, the superintendent said that he compartmentalize the issue and he will keep going. Working part time at the San Francisco Chronicle.while applying for that specific part time job, he check the US citizen box further more complicating his case. The Summer of his senior year he applied for an internship for the Washington Post.

Jose was just 24, when he got a full time job Working for the Washington Post. There is a catch, he can’t be there without a drivers license. He haven’t driven before but he want the job. So he went to the local library for a day and Learn that Oregon have one of the lenient requirements, he only needed two things first, his paycheck and an Oregon recency, he have a friend who is living in Oregon. Off he want to Oregon. He had eight years to ‘write his way into America’ he had eight years to prove to people that he belong in America, four months in his job he told an editor his secret, the editor said ‘we are in this together, he have social security card that his grandfather gave him), he covered the 2005 state dinner for the Japanese Prime Minster, he covered the the presidential campaign in 2008, but the biggest achievement of his journalistic career came in 2008 when he is a part of the Washington post team that won a Pulitzer Prize for their reporting of the Virginia Tech shooting in 2008 at the aged 27.

At aged of 27, Jose was livIng The AMERICAN DREAM, he has a wonderful life while he was still undocumented, when his grandmother learned that he won the Pulitzer her question is WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN PEOPLE FINE OUT, he hang the phone ran to the comfort room, and cried. By 2009 he left the Washington Post, he move to New York to joined the Huffington Post, he always wanted to live in New York after watching Manhattan, (the Woody Allen film). At this time he started watching videos of young undocumented people called DREAMers, they called them selves ‘Undocumented, unafraid, unapologetic, Jose can’t believe, ‘How can say you’re that you’re unafraid, I am so scared’. He said to him self, His dream job came when he was asked to cover Mark Zacherburg for the NewYorker, one night while he is interviewing him, Mark turn the tables on Jose and said Dude, where are you from. It’s Just a very basic question but he couldn’t answer. He knew that after profiling Mark, he needed to come out.

The spring of 2011, Jose contacted some of his former editors at the Washington Post but at the final minute, they killed the story. Fortunately he contacted the New York Times, the Times said Yes. (By this time his Oregon license has expire, so he got a drivers license in Washington State.) the article is called “OUTLAW”, it was release around the country on June 2011, the next few weeks for him had been after he very busy he did TV guestings at shows like Anderson Cooper 360, The Bill O’Reily Factor The Rachel Maddow show and many more. But he didn’t here from the Government but the Washington drivers license had been revoke, he founded a non-profit organization DefineAmerican.com, when he did not hear from the government. So he contacted the editor of Time Magazine that he wanted to do an article on why he wasn’t deported. Time Magazine’s editors wanted to put his picture on the cover but the resented, he said we need undocumented young people, the editors of TIME were worried that they will not find people to put on cover he said ‘are you kidding me on FACEBOOK!!! They find the right people, he and 34 others appeared on the cover of TIME, cover story was ‘We Are.Americans: Not Just Legally.

While doing journalistic work he is working on his 2nd documentary it’s called DOCUMENTED, (the first documentary was on AIDS, 2008 The Other City: AIDS on Washington DC) Documented.was released on early 2014 and was released on CNN on June 29, 2014. He has flowed around America with a Philippine Passport that the embassy in New York gave him after his drivers license was revoke. He was arrested near the The US Mexico border on July 15 2014, he went there to check on the Central American children who came to America, for refuge in an interview after being release Vargas, said the it wasn’t a stunt and he was doing this for the Central American children, he was given an immigration court date but it maybe years away. on 3rd August 2014 he celebrated his 21st year in America.

Jose wasn’t qualified for Differed Action because he is four months older it’s 30 under, when it was sign in as an executive order he turned 31, but he is lobbying for ‘Earn Citizenship, he and his mother had reconciled on the documentary (documented) he and his mom saw each other for the first time via Skype, He paid under 200 thousand US dollars in Federal, State and local taxes since he was working at aged 18. He became a good citizen of his adopted country.

Migration according to the United Nations is a human right. But How can you console a country that is reeling from brain drain, from a luck of job opportunities and a luck of a better salary. I am obviously talking about our own country the Philippines. Where in ten million people are abroad. That’s eleven percent of the total population of the country.

In this article, I will be focusing on Filipinos in America, because they are the largest concentration of Filipinos in the world. Also because of our tight history.

There are 4 million Filipinos in the United States, why are they moving. For reasons like they wanted a better life that they don’t have in the Philippines. I don’t blame the nurses, doctors and engineers who wanted to make a better lives for being there. The salary of a nurse in America is $68,000 Annually compared to the salary of a nurse in the Philippines $8570. The Philippine economy isn’t ready to pay the price that cost.

The impact of migration economically is good, the Philippines had received billions of dollars of remittances each year. That’s why when in 2008 the Great Recession hit we weren’t hit that hard. But there are some draw backs, the biggest draw back is the brain drain that is occurring until today people who study in the brightest universities in the country is always itching to get out of the country and go abroad to where the money is.

The biggest impact of migration is seen in the family. The Filipinos are like the Italians of Asia, we have close extended family since one in every ten Filipinos are abroad, the Filipino family is essentially broken. The children of OFW’s are reeling from luck of parental guidance. Most children lose affection for their parents, Even if sometimes people consider them as well to do, they are virtual orphans.

One of the biggest secrets of the Filipino migrant community all across the world is the hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrant workers, the TNTs short for Tago ng Tago in English hiding and hiding. In America there are an estimated 300 thousand undocumented Filipinos, they often work under the table jobs and like their documented counter parts, the undocumented people wants a better life for their families here in the Philippines.

In the country of 100 million, where in people suffers, the government had a responsibility to get people jobs here in the country. In the economy that they say is booming, where are the jobs. The minimum wage is not just a living wage is almost a slave wage. You are paying them too little. It’s because of corruption that plague the country for decades, it’s also the wrong course, people are not getting jobs because of the wrong degrees.

While I want to thank people for the country’s economy. I almost feel bad, bad because they need to go in great lengths to feel economically stable to come back. I feel so bad that many of my countrymen need to go to heights just to have the money to buy homes, to pay for the children’s fees at school. I can’t believe That this is happening in a supposedly booming economy.